Global Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

Global Category Managers - Indirect Procurement (3 Roles)

Location: UK, Europe or North America

Morgan Advanced Materials is investing in the future of its global procurement function and we're looking for three experienced Global Category Managers to help shape it. We're a business with a long history of solving complex engineering challenges through advanced materials. Founded in the UK in 1856, today we operate across 70 sites in 18 countries, supporting customers around the world through innovation in ceramic and carbon technologies.

As part of our growing global procurement team, you'll take ownership of a major indirect spend category, partnering with senior stakeholders across multiple regions to drive value, manage risk and build strong supplier partnerships. This isn't a role for someone who simply runs sourcing events. We're looking for procurement professionals who can develop strategy, influence stakeholders and deliver meaningful commercial outcomes on a global scale. We're hiring across three specialist category areas:

• IT & Professional Services (also acting as HQ Procurement Business Partner)
• Logistics & Packaging
• Utilities, Travel & Fleet

Reporting into the Head of Indirect Procurement (initially reporting to the Procurement Project Lead), you'll manage global and multi-regional category strategies across spend portfolios ranging from £40m to £80m.

The Role

You'll be responsible for developing and delivering category strategies that improve total cost of ownership, strengthen supplier performance and support broader business objectives. Working across a complex international organisation, you'll partner with stakeholders at all levels, lead sourcing initiatives, manage strategic suppliers and help embed best-practice procurement across the business. Depending on your specialist category area, you'll influence procurement activity across Europe, North America and other global regions.

What You'll Do

• Lead the development and execution of global category strategies aligned to business goals
• Build and implement supplier relationship management (SRM) strategies for key suppliers
• Deliver global and multi-regional sourcing programmes from strategy through to implementation
• Drive cost reduction, value creation and continuous improvement initiatives
• Partner with senior stakeholders to challenge demand, influence specifications and improve commercial outcomes
• Manage supplier, commercial and operational risks across your category portfolio
• Lead cross-functional sourcing and category teams across multiple regions
• Negotiate complex global agreements and supplier partnerships
• Promote procurement best practice and support wider procurement transformation initiatives
• Support capability development, integration projects and other strategic business activities
• Lead and develop direct reports where applicable

What You'll Bring

For all roles you'll need:

• 8-10+ years' experience in strategic sourcing, category management and supplier relationship management
• Proven success managing significant indirect spend within complex global organisations
• Experience leading large-scale sourcing, transformation or change programmes
• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills
• Advanced stakeholder management experience across matrix organisations
• Experience influencing senior leaders and driving change across multiple regions
• Strong analytical skills and a solutions-focused mindset
• Familiarity with procurement systems, spend analytics, eSourcing and contract management tools
• Exposure to AI-enabled procurement tools would be an advantage

Category-specific expertise:

IT & Professional Services

• Several years' experience managing global IT and professional services categories
• Experience operating across large, geographically dispersed organisations
• Ability to partner closely with corporate and head office stakeholders

Logistics & Packaging

• Extensive category management experience across logistics spend
• Strong knowledge of freight operations including road, air, sea, warehousing, customs and 3PL/4PL providers
• Packaging category experience would be advantageous
• Ideally based in Eastern North America, although other locations will be considered

Utilities, Travel & Fleet

• Significant utilities category management experience across both European and North American markets
• Experience managing energy procurement, utilities contracts and associated risk strategies
• Knowledge of travel and fleet categories would be advantageous

What You'll Get

• The opportunity to help shape a growing global procurement function
• Exposure to complex international sourcing and supplier management challenges
• A highly visible role with influence across the organisation
• Genuine scope to create impact and drive long-term change
• Future leadership and progression opportunities within procurement
• Flexible location across the UK, Europe or North America depending on category focus

Interested?

If you're an experienced procurement professional with deep expertise in one of these category areas and you're looking for an opportunity to influence procurement on a global scale, we'd love to hear from you. Don't have an up-to-date CV? No problem. Apply with what you have, or reach out to our Talent team via LinkedIn for a confidential conversation.